Means of communication with the blind.



G. (5. BROWN.

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION WITH TI-IE BLIND. APPLICATION HLED JAN-6.1915.

1,178,991. Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

GEORGE GORDON BROWN, or LoNnoN, ENGLAND.

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE BLIND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 6, 1915. Serial No. 801. I

To all whom, it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, Gnoncn GORDON BRowN, residing at 14- BeulahHill, London, S. E., England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means of Communication with the Blind; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. This invention relates to a means for com- 1 municating with the blind and has for its object to provide a means for this purpose whereby reading or other matter may be communicated to the blind more cheaply than has heretofore been the case. 7

The present invention contemplates the employment of sheets or rolls of suitable flexible material which sheets or rolls are suitably perforated in a manner corresponding to theigroups of points such as are at" present used in Braille, New York point and other systems where groups of points are used to represent letters or words or dia-' grams. The present invention provides a device whereby a perforated sheet of-this nature can be traveled across the ends of a number of groupsofpegs or pins which are pressed against the said sheet so that as each group of perforations is brought into position over the ends of the pegs included in one group, such pegs of that group as register with perforations in the sheet will project through the sheet for a limited distance where they can be felt by the readers fingers: The pattern or arrangement of the groups of pegs and the perforations in the sheet will of course be in accordance with the pattern or arrangement employed in the particular system in use. The present inventionrwill by way of example be described as applied to pegs arranged according to, and sheets perforated in accordance with the arrangement used in Braille where. each group of pegs consists of six pegs arranged in two vertical columns of threeeach. The perforated sheet may be of any suitable width for instance, it may be sufliciently wide so that it can accommodate a number of groups of perforations in its width with suitable spacing between.

The device which includes the groups of pegs also comprises means for accommodating a perforated roll or sheet and means for traveling the said sheet across the ends of the groups of pegs, and the arrangement a is a roll of perforated [the sheet, the said cordance with thematterto be communis cated. The, roll a is mounted ,on a spool b which is mounted on an axle b The sheet a may be such that upon the-key ordevice being operated the pegs are first depressed so as to free them from the perforations in the sheet. The sheet is then traveled across the ends of the pegs a distance suflicient to bring the next line of groups in alinement with the lineof groups of pegs, the key being then released or' returned to its original position causing the pegs to be free to move upwardly under the influence of that these 'pegs which happen to register therethrough.

The accompanying way of example one form of apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention."

in section. Fig.2 is a sectional view in end elevation.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

certain springs so drawings illustrate by c with perforations in the sheet will project In the construction. shown in the drawings I material of any deslred width. It will be understood that the rolla is perforated withlines orrowsof groupsof perforations which extend across perforations being in ac after leaving the roll passes over a guide roller 0 mounted on an axle 0 and'thence across the ends of the pegs to a second guide roller d mounted on an axle 6Z After leaving the guide roller (Z the sheet a passes over mounted on a further guide roller ear-which is anaxle e and the sheet a passes from'the' roller 6 on to a second spool f mounted on a spindle f A suitable frame comprising uprights g and fixed connecting members gg is provided to accommodate the it comprises athin rod suitable material adapted to .slideg'up' or down and supported in the cross members pegs h. Eachpeg v of metal or other g g and also having a bearing in an additional member-j which is mounted above the sheet a so that'the said sheet is guided between the plate 5 and the plate 9?. Each peg A ie is provided with a fixed flange or collar 22 and the lower parts of the pegs are encircled by springs in which take a bearing at their I lower ends against the member g' :and at their upper ends against the flanges or collarsh p.

A movable'cross member 7c is provided adaptfid 1 .9 ,Slide up and down on the upon the pegs it will serve normally to keep.

the member 7c in its highest position abutting against the flanges or collars 9 The member 70 can be moved downwardly when required by an eccentric Z which is .2 mounted on a spindle Z passing from side to side of the apparatus. The eccentric Z is provided with an eccentric strap Z the ends of which are fastened to the member k. The eccentric strap Z may be guided in the member 9 as shown in the drawing.

Means is provided for rotating the eccentric Z when desired, the said means comprising a lever Z mounted on the spindle 1 the other end of the lever Z being connected to a link m. The upper end of the link m is connected to a pivoted lever n and n and carrying a pawl at its free end. The pawl 0 is connected .to the lever nv by a pivotal connection 0 and a light spring 0 is provided between the said pawl and the lever 'n so that the end of the said pawl is held in engagement with the teeth of a ratchet wheel 6 mounted on theend of the spindle 6 Means is provided whereby the lever 1 can be rocked when desired and also for si multaneously rocking tl1e lever n and this means may comprise a vertical sliding rod p having a key or finger plate p at its upper end. The spring 79 is arranged to return the key 32 to its highest position. The lower end of the rod 79 is connected to the junc "tion of the link on and the lever .n the arrangement being such that when the key j is depressed the eccentric Zis rockedpulling down {the member 71: and thus freeing the pegs .h from the sheet a. Simultaneously with the rocking of the lever Z the lever n isrocked on its pivot n bringing the pawl 0 into engagement with the'teeth of the ratchet wheel e This apparatus ,is'so designed that the pawl 0 does not commence to rotatethe ratchet 6 until the pegs it from the sheet a.

The spool f on to which the sheet a is woundis rotated by a pulley or cord 7 passingover pulleys f 6 The whole of this apparatus is contained within a suitable casing rhaving an opening r in its-top which opening is closed by the plate j which may be attached to the casing r. The top of the casing r consists of twofhingedflaps r r which canbe opened whendesired for the insertion of fresh sheets and the removal of the sheets from the spools when" desired.

Fromzthe foregoing description the use of the apparatus will be apparent, the sheet a in the manner described and remaining sta fitionar-y while the reader reads off each row have been freed being traveled from one spool to the other ofgroups of pegs as they project from the perforations provided.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Means for communicating with the blind comprising a number of groups of resiliently mounted pegs, means for supporting a perforated sheet having rows of groups of pe-rforations,means for bringing the rows of groups of perforations in the sheet successively into alinement with the row of .ing a perforated sheet having rows of groups of perforations, means for bringing the rows of groups of perforations in thesheet successively into alinement with the row of groups of pegs whereby those pegs which register with perforations in the sheet may project therethrough, and meansfor with drawing said pegs from said perforations before the next row of groups of perforations in thesheet is brought into alinement with the row of pegs.

3. Means for communicating with the blind comprising a casing containing a number of groups of resiliently mounted pegs, a spool for supporting a perforated sheet, guide rollers and perforated guide plates whereby said sheet is guided across the ends of the row of groups of pegs, .a winding spool on to which the sheet is wound, a ratchet and pawl device for traveling said sheet intermittently so that the rows of groups of perforations .are brought successively into alinement with the ends of the "pegs, and means for withdrawing the pegs from the perforations'before the neXt row of groups of perforations in the sheet is brought into alinement with the row of pegs.

a. Means for communicating with the blind compr sing a casing containing a frame 1n ,whlch is supported and guided a number of groups of resiliently mounted P a member slidable on said frame and engaging abutments on said pegs, means for sliding said member on said frame whereby I said pegs can he moved in an endwlse direction when required, means in said casing for supporting a perforated sheet having rows of groups of perforations, means for bringing the rows of groups of perforations in the sheet successively intoalinement with the row of groups of pegs whereby those pegs which-register with the perforations 1n the sheet may projecttherethrough.

5. Means for communicating with the blind comprising a casing containing a frame in which is supported and guided a number of groups of resiliently mounted pegs, a member slidable on said frame and engaging abutments on said pegs, an eccentric for sliding said member on said frame whereby said pegs can be moved in an end-' wise direction when required, a spool for supporting a perforated sheet, guide rollers and perforated guide plates whereby said sheet is guided across the ends of the row of groups of pegs, a winding spool on to which the sheet is Wound, a ratchet and pawl device for traveling said sheet intermittently I so that the rows of groups of perforations are brought successively into alinement with Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the v Washington, D. 0. r

the ends of the pegs, and means for-operating said eccentric and said ratchet and pawl mechanism simultaneously so that the ends of the pegs are withdrawn from the perforations before the next row of groups of perforations in the sheet is brought into alinement with the row of pegs.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE GORDON BROWN. Witnesses:

ALBERT WILLIAM WINSALL, S ANLEY ARTHUR HART.

Commissioner of Patents, 

